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Knighten, Stokes Earn All-America Honors
Huskers.com
A pair of Husker softball players were honored as All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Wednesday. Junior MJ Knighten was named a first-team All-American, while senior Kiki Stokes garnered third-team accolades for the second straight season.
Nebraska was one of 14 teams to have multiple players selected for 2016 All-America honors. The Huskers had multiple All-Americans for the second time in three seasons and for the eighth time in program history. Knighten becomes the seventh Husker to earn first-team All-America recognition, while Stokes became Nebraska's ninth multi-time All-American.
Knighten was one of 18 players selected to the NFCA All-America first team, earning an at-large position at third base. One of only two third basemen on the first team, Knighten was honored following an outstanding junior season. A native of Buena Park, Calif., Knighten posted a .376 batting average with eight doubles, 21 home runs and 60 RBIs this spring. She ended the regular season ranked second nationally in home runs, 10th in runs and RBIs and 15th in slugging percentage. One of only four players to hit 20 home runs during the regular season, Knighten was also one of only eight players nationally who produced 50 hits, 50 runs and 50 RBIs in the regular season. Including postseason play, Knighten finished with 64 hits, 61 runs and 60 RBIs, becoming the first player in school history to produce 60 hits, 60 runs and 60 RBIs in a season.
Also a first-team All-Big Ten and All-Midwest Region selection, Knighten’s All-America campaign left a mark on the Nebraska season record book. She finished second in school history in home runs, runs and slugging percentage (.794) and ranked fourth in RBIs and sixth in walks (39). Knighten averaged more than 1.0 hit, 1.0 run and 1.0 RBI per game and totaled 20 multi-hit games and 17 games with multiple RBIs. She finished with more home runs (21) than strikeouts (15).
Knighten will enter her senior season next spring as one of only eight returning 2016 first-team All-Americans. She is just the fourth Husker to be a returning first-team All-American and the first since Jennifer Lizama in 2000. With another outstanding season, Knighten would look to join Ali Viola as the only Huskers to earn multiple first-team All-America accolades.
Stokes ended her career as a two-time All-American by earning third-team All-America honors for the second straight season. Stokes led Nebraska with 74 hits, 20 stolen bases, a .409 batting average and a .509 on-base percentage. She added 11 doubles, three triples and six home runs to become one of 13 players nationally who produced 20 stolen bases and 20 extra-base hits during the regular season. A team captain, Stokes ended the regular season ranked 19th nationally in runs scored, 43rd in on-base percentage and 59th in batting average. She scored 58 runs to rank fifth in Nebraska single-season history, while also ranking sixth in batting average and seventh in hits.
A native of Olathe, Kan., Stokes was also recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a first-team All-Midwest Region honoree, in addition to being one of 50 players nationally named to the USA Softball Player-of-the-Year Watch List. She produced 24 multi-hit games and became only the third Husker to post a .400 average in back-to-back seasons. Fueled by her stellar senior season, Stokes ended her career among Nebraska’s all-time top 10 in runs (1st, 200), walks (3rd, 120), hits (5th, 233), triples (5th, 13), stolen bases (5th, 67), average (5th, .350), extra-base hits (9th, 65) and slugging percentage (10th, .540).
Stokes also became the highest draft pick in school history, when she was taken in the first round with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft. The first outfielder selected, Stokes was selected by the Scrap Yard Dawgs, who begin their NPF season on Thursday, June 2, against the Chicago Bandits, which feature former Husker two-time All-America twins Tatum and Taylor Edwards.
Nebraska has now produced 16 players who have combined for 27 All-America awards in program history.
Knighten, Stokes Earn All-America Honors
Huskers.com
A pair of Husker softball players were honored as All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Wednesday. Junior MJ Knighten was named a first-team All-American, while senior Kiki Stokes garnered third-team accolades for the second straight season.
Nebraska was one of 14 teams to have multiple players selected for 2016 All-America honors. The Huskers had multiple All-Americans for the second time in three seasons and for the eighth time in program history. Knighten becomes the seventh Husker to earn first-team All-America recognition, while Stokes became Nebraska's ninth multi-time All-American.
Knighten was one of 18 players selected to the NFCA All-America first team, earning an at-large position at third base. One of only two third basemen on the first team, Knighten was honored following an outstanding junior season. A native of Buena Park, Calif., Knighten posted a .376 batting average with eight doubles, 21 home runs and 60 RBIs this spring. She ended the regular season ranked second nationally in home runs, 10th in runs and RBIs and 15th in slugging percentage. One of only four players to hit 20 home runs during the regular season, Knighten was also one of only eight players nationally who produced 50 hits, 50 runs and 50 RBIs in the regular season. Including postseason play, Knighten finished with 64 hits, 61 runs and 60 RBIs, becoming the first player in school history to produce 60 hits, 60 runs and 60 RBIs in a season.
Also a first-team All-Big Ten and All-Midwest Region selection, Knighten’s All-America campaign left a mark on the Nebraska season record book. She finished second in school history in home runs, runs and slugging percentage (.794) and ranked fourth in RBIs and sixth in walks (39). Knighten averaged more than 1.0 hit, 1.0 run and 1.0 RBI per game and totaled 20 multi-hit games and 17 games with multiple RBIs. She finished with more home runs (21) than strikeouts (15).
Knighten will enter her senior season next spring as one of only eight returning 2016 first-team All-Americans. She is just the fourth Husker to be a returning first-team All-American and the first since Jennifer Lizama in 2000. With another outstanding season, Knighten would look to join Ali Viola as the only Huskers to earn multiple first-team All-America accolades.
Stokes ended her career as a two-time All-American by earning third-team All-America honors for the second straight season. Stokes led Nebraska with 74 hits, 20 stolen bases, a .409 batting average and a .509 on-base percentage. She added 11 doubles, three triples and six home runs to become one of 13 players nationally who produced 20 stolen bases and 20 extra-base hits during the regular season. A team captain, Stokes ended the regular season ranked 19th nationally in runs scored, 43rd in on-base percentage and 59th in batting average. She scored 58 runs to rank fifth in Nebraska single-season history, while also ranking sixth in batting average and seventh in hits.
A native of Olathe, Kan., Stokes was also recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a first-team All-Midwest Region honoree, in addition to being one of 50 players nationally named to the USA Softball Player-of-the-Year Watch List. She produced 24 multi-hit games and became only the third Husker to post a .400 average in back-to-back seasons. Fueled by her stellar senior season, Stokes ended her career among Nebraska’s all-time top 10 in runs (1st, 200), walks (3rd, 120), hits (5th, 233), triples (5th, 13), stolen bases (5th, 67), average (5th, .350), extra-base hits (9th, 65) and slugging percentage (10th, .540).
Stokes also became the highest draft pick in school history, when she was taken in the first round with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft. The first outfielder selected, Stokes was selected by the Scrap Yard Dawgs, who begin their NPF season on Thursday, June 2, against the Chicago Bandits, which feature former Husker two-time All-America twins Tatum and Taylor Edwards.
Nebraska has now produced 16 players who have combined for 27 All-America awards in program history.
